Alan Cox writes:
>> Hardware vendors can not expect users to know about compiling.
>> It would be very dangerous to have hardware vendors supplying
>> whole kernel upgrades, but what else can they do?
>
> Provide source code and work with the community as well as with
> vendors. Several of them are doing this just fine. A few others
> have had good intentions and almost got it right and will no doubt
> do this next time.
This doesn't help at all. I'll add dates for you:
1. user has a 1999 TurboLinux install
2. hardware is designed and built in September 2000
3. user installs hardware after Christmas 2000
What you are saying basicly amounts to "upgrade Linux".
The next TurboLinux release could be months away, and the
user doesn't want to buy it anyway.
I can think of hacker-friendly solutions involving kernel source
downloads and gcc, and I can think of distribution-specific
solutions involving binary modules. ("Red Hat 6.1 non-SMP x86")
Both of these are tech-support nightmares. I don't see any way
that a normal person could pop in a driver CD-ROM to make the
hardware operate. Many distributions don't even install gcc and
kernel source by default anymore -- I believe Red Hat is one of them.
Hardware vendors seem to produce gross and incomplete hacks
to fill the void. Linux would benefit from a reliable solution.
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Sat Apr 15 2000 - 21:00:14 EST